


Of Nicknames and Nightmares

by mystified_mint



Series: DRV3 Ship Events [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, saioumotaweek2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-14 05:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15381396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystified_mint/pseuds/mystified_mint
Summary: A pair of stories written for Saioumota Week. Not necessarily related, nor definitely unrelated.Chapter 1:PeachyChapter 2:Nightly Worries





	1. Peachy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Theme:** Nicknames  
>  **Word Count:** 698

Kaito liked giving people nicknames. That was common knowledge. Whether it was a close friend (Maki Roll) or a lover (Shu and Kichi), nicknames were one of his favorite ways of showing affection. Given those facts, it shouldn’t have surprised him to receive a nickname in return, yet he was entirely unprepared for what slipped from Kokichi’s lips that morning.

“Wakey, wakey,  _Momo!_  It’s time for breakfast!”

Kaito’s eyes snapped open, and he found Kokichi looming over him with a grin.

“Wait, did you just call me-”

“Momo! You’ve been using nicknames for me and Shuichi since forever, so I just thought it was about time you got one, too.” 

Then Kokichi skipped away to join Shuichi in the kitchen, leaving Kaito to gawk at the air. A few seconds later, Kaito shrugged, deciding that the nickname seemed harmless enough. 

That was a thought he would soon come to regret.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Momo, is that a new plant?” 

“Momo, pass the syrup.”

“Bedhead’s a really good look on you, Momo!”

At every opportunity, Kokichi used that nickname. It was so persistent one might think he’d forgotten Kaito’s actual name. After the fourth or fifth time in the same hour, Shuichi quietly intervened, placing a soothing hand on Kaito’s under the table. Kaito unclenched his fist from the fabric of his pants, moving to intertwine his fingers with Shuichi’s.

“Hmm... it’s getting kinda boring in here,” Kokichi eventually announced. “I’m gonna go out and rob a bank real quick. Or should I break into a museum instead?” he wondered. “You know what, I’ll decide when I’m outside. Catch you two later!” he declared, then left the apartment before either of them could respond.

“So, what’s wrong?” Shuichi asked once Kokichi was gone. “You seem really bothered.” 

“He just keeps using that stupid nickname!” Kaito fumed, glaring at the carpet.

“Do you dislike it? You nickname people all the time.”

“I...” Kaito hesitated, calming down a bit. “I don’t know. It seemed fine at first, but then he kept going with ‘Momo’ this and ‘Momo’ that, and for some reason it started bugging the hell out of me. I don’t know how to explain it, like it just feels... weird! Why is he calling me that, anyway? It’s not like him.”

Shuichi brought a hand to his chin as he considered this information, eyeing Kaito thoughtfully. He must have realized something, because his expression suddenly brightened, the corners of his mouth twitching into a small smile.

“I think I understand.”

“Understand what?”

Shuichi reached out to take Kaito’s hand again, running his thumb along the back in a gentle motion.

“You’re always... very straightforward, and it can be kind of overwhelming sometimes. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it might be shocking to someone who isn’t used to it, like me when we just started talking. I still get embarrassed sometimes when you’re extra affectionate,” Shuichi admitted, flushing slightly. “A-Anyway, I think you might be experiencing that feeling yourself for once. You’re usually on the giving end of that directness, so maybe you’re not used to receiving it.” Shuichi laughed softly under his breath when Kaito looked lost. “Kaito, I think you’re just flustered.”

"Neeheehee, well of course he is!”

Kaito let out an undignified squawk when Kokichi popped in through the window.

“I knew I’d hear something juicy if I stuck around,” Kokichi giggled, climbing back inside. “Who knew it was this easy to embarrass poor Momo. It’s adorable, though, and you turn pink just like a peach when you blush! ‘Momo’ really  _is_  the perfect nickname!”

Kaito’s cheeks only grew warmer as Kokichi teased him, leaving him at a loss for words. Beside him, Shuichi sighed, giving their mischievous boyfriend a disapproving look.

“Kokichi, don’t overdo it,” he chided.

“Fiiiiine,” Kokichi whined, only to recover in the blink of an eye. “Here, I can play nice.” He walked over, pecked Kaito on the nose, then snuggled in between them on the couch. “Better?”

If anything, Kaito had turned redder, though he seemed more resigned to the situation. With a frustrated noise, he leaned over and hid his face in Kokichi’s hair. Shuichi silently pat him on the back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Translator's note: momo means peach)


	2. Nightly Worries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Theme:** Sleeping  
>  **Word Count:** 525

It was impossible to lie in your sleep, Kokichi was well aware, but that was hardly a matter of concern when one always slept alone. Distantly, he remembered a time when that wasn’t the case, when he was surrounded by friends that doubled as family... but those memories were mere fiction, and thus the truth remained. He’d always been alone.

Alone.

_Alone._

_"You're alone Kokichi, and you always will be."_

Shuichi had already taken those words back, but sometimes Kokichi still wondered if things would last, or if it was only a matter of time before he was alone again. Would Kaito and Shuichi come to their senses? Would they finally realize they were better off without him? It was a thought that plagued him when he was awake, then transformed into nightmares when he was asleep.

The latter was easily worse. While lies could shield him during the day, the night left him defenseless. Within the void of slumber, there was nothing and no one there to protect him, and once again he was completely... utterly... unmistakably...

Alone.

...

...

Or so he thought.

Crouched cautiously beside his bed, Kaito and Shuichi watched him with concern, though Shuichi couldn’t help but worry they were crossing a line. The fact they’d snuck in with lockpicking skills Kokichi had taught him did Shuichi’s conscience no favors. 

Then Kokichi let out a strangled sob, and all of that was forgotten.

It was Kaito who first noticed something was wrong, questioning how they’d never seen Kokichi sleep. When he didn’t rise before them, he’d be hidden away in his room, door shut tight to guard against prying eyes. Similar things could be said for when they went to bed, Shuichi and Kaito in one room, Kokichi in another. It’d been a strange arrangement to begin with, but they’d accepted that he just prefered having space. Now though, they wished they hadn’t.

Even on the twin-sized bed, Kokichi took up little room, curling in on himself as if to shrink away from the world. He’d always been small, but he looked even smaller in that moment. It was enough to make their hearts clench in their chests.

Another pained whimper was all it took for Kaito to make up his mind. He stepped forward, carefully gathering Kokichi in his arms, then moved all three of them to the larger bedroom. Once Kokichi was settled in the center of their bed, Kaito and Shuichi followed suit.

Kaito climbed in first, shifting until he could tuck Kokichi against his side. Subconsciously, Kokichi gripped onto his shirt, cuddling closer to his body. Shuichi joined right after, spooning Kokichi from behind. For a second, he held his breath, waiting to see if anything would happen. Then Kokichi let out a content sigh, encouraging Shuichi to embrace him fully. 

Sleep came naturally after that.

When daylight eventually trickled in through the curtains, Kokichi awakened for a brief moment. He vaguely registered that he’d been moved, as well as what that implied, yet he found himself unable to care as he burrowed deeper under the covers. 

Wrapped snugly around him, Kaito and Shuichi slept on. 

**Author's Note:**

> I read and cherish every comment, so please let me know what you think!


End file.
